Imperfections
by booksareart
Summary: Drew's fears finally creep up on her "Would she ever be loved for being herself with all her imperfections, all her weaknesses?" *Going to be a two shot*
1. Chapter 1

Drew

_She could feel hands holding her hands; a cheek touching her cheek; lips kissing her lips. She could hear waves crashing on the shore; silence whispering her secrets; her heart pounding in her chest. She could taste the scent of longing; of desperation; of love. She reached up to whisper the three little words that held so much meaning. She could feel her breath speeding up as she waited for an answer. They opened their mouth..._

Drew woke up still waiting for the response. Her normally perfect hair was in a tangled nest around her head; her typically immaculate nails bitten into ragged stubs. The guilt of what had happened in the dream flooded through her; but what had occurred wasn't the problem, it was the fact that she'd enjoyed it.

She shook herself mentally trying to rid the images from her head. Treading clumsily to the bathroom she made herself look perfect, promising herself that no matter what, she would never let any disfigurements- mental or physical- indicate her weaknesses.

Her mind wandered back to a time earlier in her life, when she was just a little girl, when her father told her that being perfect was all that ever mattered; rubbing it in her face by cancelling plans with Drew to spend time with gorgeous women. She supposed her dad wasn't the best of dads. Maybe that was why she hid her secrets deep down where no-one could even sense them. Because she had never had anyone to tell her secrets to before. And she was scared.

Like waking up in the middle of the night, darkness reflecting her pain back at her, reminding her of exactly why her palms were sweating. Exactly why her voice was hoarse from screaming with no one to listen. No one came in and turned on the light; no one came in to comfort her or to rock her back to sleep. She was alone. Her dad out with some new, beautiful woman she could never compare to.

Always alone...

She heard a commotion in the courtyard in the middle of the cabins, bringing her out of her thoughts. She snuck out to her cabin door, trying not to wake up any of her siblings. A tall,male silhouette was sneaking towards Cabin 13, the Hades cabin. As she watched, the outline of another guy walked out of the door and kissed the other man. The harsh shadows concealing them, bending around creating a veil until they were no longer there: gone. Sometimes Drew thought of disappearing, but that would mean giving up. Proving her Dad right: she could never be perfect. Will and Nico, forever happy. Well, why wouldn't they be, every mean word or disappointed glance just bounced off the bubble of their contentment. They had each other that was why they survived it all and got up every morning despite the hate.

But Drew didn't have anyone. She never would. It was impossible. And with that thought, she went back to her bed, curled up in a ball, and cried herself to sleep.

Drew saw them again, Will and Nico, strolling around without a care in the world. Flaunting their happiness in everyone's faces; not caring what anyone thought of them. That must be nice: not caring. But then Drew sees them, like lethal lions stalking their prey; trying to torture them, watch them break, watch their facade shatter and every chink in their armour crumble until nothing is left. They were jeering, giggling and pointing; trying to see if underneath their carefree appearance Will and Nico were actually hurt by this display. However, looking into the stories in their eyes, Drew realised that they truly were happy. The laughing would stop and they'd get through it, they were strong inside- unlike Drew. Everyone would learn to accept them. But would she ever be accepted, ever be understood? Would she ever be loved for being herself with all her imperfections, all her weaknesses?

Drew didn't sleep that night, muffling her sobs with her pillow as she let her tears stream down her face. The heavens opened as if the Gods could finally understand her pain, as if perhaps, her mother could see that she wasn't perfect and underneath the surface she was too broken to ever be fixed. Maybe her mother could finally see the shattered remains of a little girl's heart – Daddy not caring and glamorous women the main priority. Maybe the rain symbolised the Gods sympathising with her for once; perchance her mother regrets the decision of leaving her with a man who can't look at his daughter for a fear of the imperfections he might. Or maybe it was just rain... 

Eventually her tears dried and a single star crept out from behind the clouds, just like the one that appeared when she used to wish for a family.  
>It never came true... <p>


	2. Chapter 2

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Drew woke up to Mitchell shaking her. She peeled her eyelids open and ran her fingers through her tangled her, hoping to look a little more perfect._ I can't even be myself around my own brother, _she thought in disgust. _I'm so pathetic._ "What you want? Why you looking at me weird?" she said groggily, looking up at her little brother. "You don't always have to pretend you're perfect you know. The only people here are me and you". "What do you mean? I **_am_** perfect." "Whatever. You missed breakfast by the way. I saved you some toast, with chocolate spread and peanut butter". "My favourite... How do you know that?" "I'm your brother; of course I know what your favourite food is." "Oh..." "I'm gonna go now, see ya." Mitchell walked out the door, leaving Drew alone in the cabin. She looked to her left and saw a plate of food on her chest of drawers. She smiled. "Thanks." She whispered. "I never knew you cared".

She bit into her toast, remembering when her dad would make her the same food. Back when he cared, before he realised Aphrodite was never coming back; before he was consumed with a pure, bitter, hate.

She did everything to try and impress him, made herself look beautiful before she went down for breakfast and popped every spot when he pointed them out. She presented herself with elegance and grace and used her beauty as a power over others just like he'd taught her. But it wasn't enough... It was never enough. Even getting into the Brooklyn Academy of the Gifted wasn't enough to turn his head- to make him notice her. She guessed that was why the wall always came up: it's easier to impress someone who doesn't really know you. When they don't see imperfections on the outside they doubt there's any underneath. But it's still not enough... never enough.

How dare Mitchell tell her not to be perfect. She could do what she liked. He was almost as bad as Leo, when he told her that he could see through the facade, so she might as well let everyone see what was underneath. But if she showed what was underneath, she'd never be accepted, especially not in this society.

Sure she pretends she's boy crazy; that way they never suspect that that's not really what she cares about. Clothes, hair, makeup, it's all artificial. The scars on the surface are not her problems, it's the scars underneath. Put there by a childhood that never really was a childhood, no playing or getting dirty for Drew. Any paint on her dress was sure to end up in a red mark on her face and a "See, now you look stupid, and whose fault is that my **_ugly _**duckling?" The question always a sneer; the emphasis always on ugly. She was always a disappointment, always a let-down. Not pretty enough, and looks were all that mattered in her house. A's on her maths exams didn't mean a thing. He would always look at the paper briefly and mutter "What are we going to do with you then? Too much time on that nonsense, never going to be a model, or get a boyfriend with that trash." So Drew begun to play down her brain power, pleasing her dad for a second before he was chasing after another pair of long legs. So she brought home countless boys to meet her father, flirting with everyone, relishing the thought of pleasing her dad but her heart wasn't in it. And neither was his. "How much did you pay them?" he used to ask. "What?" "To get them to come here, I mean it wasn't your looks, obviously, my ugly duckling" he would tweak her chin and his eyes would look with hers until she looked away. "Never going to be a swan, are we now?". He'd leave after that, on a date most probably. He never said sorry or felt any guilt when he heard her crying when he came home, **_if_** he came home. He'd only whisper through the crack of the door "You don't want to ruin your makeup, do you? Be an awful shame to see what's underneath".

So underneath was not an option for Drew. What you saw on the surface could draw you in, but the wall she put up could scare anyone away. That was the plan.

She cried again that night, but this time she slept.  
>She could feel hands holding her hands; a cheek touching her cheek; lips kissing her lips. She could hear waves crashing on the shore; silence whispering her secrets; her heart pounding in her chest. She could taste the scent of longing; of desperation; of love. She reached up to whisper the three little words that held so much meaning. She could feel her breath speeding up as she waited for an answer. They opened their mouth...<br>"I love you too, Drew"

"Do you really mean that?"  
>"Of course I do." She whispered, nuzzling Drew's neck.<br>"Good" she breathed, smiling slightly.

Drew woke up sweating and shaking. If they didn't already know, she was going to hide it forever. She didn't want those girls giggling and pointing at her, like she was some freak show they'd paid to see. No! No one will accept her. It is better kept a secret; then no one can judge her... no one can hurt her. No chink in the armour, no cracks in the façade.  
>She fell asleep with the feeling of her lips on hers, caressing them until the pain melted away...<p>

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